If you’re not familiar with it, this annual observance is held on the first Thursday of May and invites people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman.

I hope you’ll take some time today to pray on your own and perhaps to represent the Christian faith in your community.

If you haven’t already heard, in just a few days, Focus on the Family is officially re-launching Brio Magazine, our publication for teen girls. It’s a positive, godly alternative to most of the influences out there today for teenage girls.

Our “Brio girl” for the inaugural issue is Sadie Robertson. Many of you know her from the A&E reality show Duck Dynasty and from Dancing with the Stars a few seasons ago.

She’s just 19, but she’s an impressive young lady, and we’ve asked her to join us in the studio today to share how she is fearlessly living out her faith and using her public platform to be an excellent role model for girls.

I hope you’ll join us for our radio program tomorrow and Thursday when we’ll be talking to Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, about their journey with God and each other.

Through an award-winning career in music and the ups and downs of real life, Steven and Mary Beth say they feel “between heaven and the real world.” That phrase has become something of a caption to their lives. Pointing out God’s grace in the midst of a very troubled world is what Steven has tried to accomplish throughout his music career.

The murder of Robert Godwin, Sr., on Easter Sunday shocked the nation. The 74-year-old Ohio resident was walking home from a holiday meal with his family when he was shot and killed by a complete stranger.

The murderer recorded the killing on his phone and later uploaded it to Facebook where it was watched thousands of times.

After a two-day manhunt, the man who pulled the trigger took his own life as police moved in to arrest him.

Many women who have been sexually assaulted endure a similar struggle: “God, where were you?”

That’s a gut-wrenching question with no easy answers, but it deserves a heart-felt response. Few people can offer hope and healing in the wake of sexual assault better than our guests on today’s and tomorrow’s programs, Leila Sommerfield and Kathleen Terrill.

They understand sexual assault as only survivors can, and they’ll be sharing exactly where they believe God was in the midst of some of their deepest suffering.

Humorist Erma Bombeck once said, “There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain.”

Chonda Pierce has been tip-toeing that line for a long time. She’s been doing stand-up comedy for 25 years and is the top-selling female comic in history. She has a unique ability to describe life’s most challenging moments all while making you laugh out loud with her humor.

Focus on the Family was privileged to have Chonda as a guest speaker at a recent chapel service here at the ministry.

Today is Good Friday, and many of us will be spending a portion of the day in church or at home, thinking reflectively about the sacrifice our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ made when He gave His life for us on Calvary.

It’s something American Christians can do without worry or concern, because we live in a nation where, despite some cultural opposition, we can worship freely and without persecution.

But around the world, there are fellow believers who are risking their lives every time they meet for corporate worship – especially during holidays like Holy Week.

Today is Maundy Thursday, the date marking the end of Lent and the beginning of the Easter Triduum—the three-day period leading up to Easter Sunday. The term “Maundy” stems from the Latin word “mandatum”—which means “commandment” and alludes to Jesus’ words as recorded in the 13th chapter of John’s Gospel: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

When you think about it, this is the essence of who Jesus is and why He came to earth, isn’t it?

Tomorrow is Good Friday and Sunday is Easter. Those holidays don’t mean much for a lot of families. It’s just another routine Friday followed by a warm spring day where kids get all the candy they want and hunt for colorful eggs.

There’s a deeper significance to those days that many people overlook. I remember years ago, back when video stores were still around. My wife and I went looking for a well-known film that told the story of Easter.

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Daly Focus

Jim Daly is a husband, father and President of Focus on the Family and host of its National Radio Hall of Fame broadcast. His blog, Daly Focus, is full of timely commentary and wisdom designed to help you navigate and understand today’s culture. His latest book is Marriage Done Right.